Razor stropping and sharpening mechanism.



L. A. FLNKER a J. SCHADE, Jn. RAZOR STROPPING AND SHARPENING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY Z5, 1906.

l ,081,283. Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

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L. A. FLINKER & J. SCHADE, JR. RAzR STROPPING AND SHARPBNING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1906.

W/ TNE SSE S m MK2/fix? COLUMBIA PLANOGHAPH C0.. WASIHNUTDN, D. CV

l w Mgg@ @9 e'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IiEON A. FLINKERACN!) JOHN SGHAIJE, JR., OF NEW YORK, N; Y., ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE`ASSIGNMENTS,.'TO THE KEENOH COMPANY, 'OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

A COPARTNERSHIP.

RAZOR STROPPING AND. SHARPENING MECHANISM.

Application filed May 25, 1906.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented Dec..9,1913.

Serial No. 318,619.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, LEON A. Funken, a citizen oi. the United States, and a resident ofthe borough ot Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, and JOHN SCHADE, Jr., a citizen of the 'United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the city of New York, county ot Kings, and State of New York, have ointly invented a certain new and uset'ul Improvement in Razor Stropping and Sharjjiening Mechanism, of which the following' is a specifica@ tion.

This invention is a razor sharpening machine, and it embodies, mainly, means whereby the respective lengths cit a strop are deflected inwardly toward a movable blade holder, whereby the strop is presented in a proper manner to the blade in said holder for the purpose of sharpening the respective edges oi the blade, all as will be hereinafter set forth,

Referring to the aceompanyin` drawings which forms a part of this speciication, Figure l, is an end elevation of a stropping and slnirpeninnmechanism constructed in accordance with one form ofour invention, portions of the strop being broken out for convenience of illustration, with a razor blade adjusted in place for stropjn'ng,I and sharpening and the parts of the mechanism in the positions they occupy when the stroppingl and sharpeningu operation is being etected. Fig. 2, a similar end elevation of such mechanism, with a razor blade ad justed in position for stropping` and sharpening, but with `certain ot the parts of the mechanisln separated or swung apart, as when the razor is to be applied to or removed rom it, and the strop in like manner broken away; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the stropping' and sharpening mechanism, with a razor blade adjusted in place for stroppinp; and sharpening, and lthe handle of the razor and the strop similarly broken away; Fig. 4, a similar side elevation of the stropping and sharpening mechanism on an enlarged scale, with the strop omitted, certain of the parts shown in section.; Fig. 5, an enlarged vertical transverse section of the stropping and sharpening mechanism, and oll a razor blade held therein taken in the plane ac roiFig. al, the strop being` shown and likewise broken` away Fig. `6, is

a side elevation of auxiliary jaws lor aiding' the main holding jaws in holding a safety razor blade of the Gillette or` other similar torm, detached.,` parts being broken away to show the adjustment of the Iazor blades therein, and the razor blade being also illustrated in side elevation, and Fig. `7, a transverse section oit' the auxiliaryjaws and azor blade taken in the plane g/"y/ ot Fig. 7, and showing` their arrangement within the main holding jaws during,` the stropping and sharpening ojjieration, the said main holding aws being also shown in transverse section in a plane corresponding' to that indicated by line :c of Fig. 1l.

ln all the figures, like letters of reference are employed to designate the corresponding; parts.

A indicates a base of an appropriate frame upon which the various parts ot the mechanism are or may be supported, and B indicates the strop by means of which the stroppinir and sharpeningg` oit the razor blade are effected. .ln the embodiment Oil the invention selected by us for purposes of illust ation, this base A is preferably constructed in plate t'orm, with its opposite ends bent downward or inward at approximate right angles to form ears a and al, and is provided on its back with a ringraz, or other convenient appliances, through which the mechanism may be supportedand held during` the stroppingl and sharjjiening open ation.

Pivoted between the ears o and al on the base A, by pivots 7) and 721, are the devices C by which the holdingot the razor blade during the stroppingl,V and sharpeniimv operation is eiiected. These devices,avhich may be constructed in various terms, are here sho-wn as composed of a cylindrical shaft 722, with two arms b3 and 7)t extending` therefrom, and as carrying' at their outer tree ends the holding' jaws 715, between which the clamping oi the razor blade is cticcted. In the construction of these holding: devices the :rms 71'* and 7) may be made either separate from, or integral with, the shaft 7)?, and the trunnions 7) and 721 may in like manner be formed integral therewith, or separable therefrom, as may be preferred. .ln the drawings however we have shown the arms 723 and bt as made integral with the shait 722, as we have also shown the pivot or trunnion 7), as made integral therewith. The pivot or trunnion 1, on the other hand, is depicted as made separable therefrom in the form of a screw, which is passed through a suitable orifice formed in the ear al and engages at its inner end with a correspondingly shaped threaded orifice formed in the end of the shaft b2, as is clearly apparent from the drawing. These various constructions and arrangements of parts however are merely illustrative, and other and different forms of construction and arrangement may be adopted in place thereof if so preferred. The jaws b5 may, in like manner, be modified in various ways. Ve prefer however to construct them in the form of gradually approaching plates, which project forward from a suitable back plate bc, in a slightly curvilinear contour, and are or may be provided near their middle portions with recesses, whereby to permit of access to the razor blade at that part when required, but this is unessential and the aws may be made without such recesses, if desired. As thus constructed and arranged, these razor holding devices, as will be seen, are not only supported upon the base A, of said supporting frame, but are capable of a back and forth vibrating movement thereon, as the exigencies of the stropping and sharpening operations may require, and in order to return these devices to a position intermediate the limits of their vibratory movement, and hold them therein when a razor blade is being inserted between or withdrawn from them, we make use of a spring D, which, in the example of the invention shown in the drawing, is made in the form of a plate that is secured at one of its ends to the inner side of the base A, by screws or rivets c, with its free end bent downwardly or inwardly and engaging at its outer extremity with a flattened surface c1 formed on the back of the cylindrical shaft b2, as shown. By this arrangement, as will be seen, the return of the razor holding devices to their middle normal position is automatically edected whenever vibrated therefrom and the vibrating forces are withdrawn.

For adapting the razor blade holding devices to hold and retain blades of different widths and forms during the stropping and sharpening operation, and insure of the cutting edges of the blades being projected outwardly from the jaws b5 to approximately the same distance, whatever their width or form may be, various means may be employed. le prefer however, to employ for this purpose a bar or plate 67, which, secured at one of its ends to the back plate bs by screws or otherwise, and extending outwardly in its central portion away from such plate and made capable of iiexure, provided at its other end with 'a block or abutment b5, against which bears the inner end of an adjusting screw b9, that is properly threaded in a suitable orifice formed in the arm o4, and is provided at its outer end with a suitable milled or otherwise constructed head whereby its rotation in one or the other direction may be effected as may be desired. lith the bar or plate bl and the screw b9 thus arranged, and a razor blade of the ordinary form inserted in proper position between the jaws b5, the securement and holding of the blade between these jaws will be eected by forcing the middle port-ion of the bar or plate 67 outward against its back, by turning the screw b9 in the proper direction to cause such movement, when the blade will be pressed outward between the aws and rmly held thereby, with its cutting edge projecting therefrom to the requisite degree for the stropping and sharpening operation, as shown in Fig. On the other hand, when a safety razor blade of the Gillette, o-r other similar form without an enlarged back is to be held for the stropping and sharpening operation, then, instead of such blade being held by the direct action of the jaws b5 thereon, auxiliary jaws b1 are required, see Figs. 6 and 7 which are made of the proper form to receive and hold the different forms of safety razor blades of this class, and at the same time be themselves received within and held by the main jaws b5. These auxiliary jaws may be of various constructions. ln Figs. 6 and 7 we have shown one of the various examples that may be employed for this purpose, the same being coinposed of two jaws blo, hinged together at their backs whereby their free front edges may be swung toward and away from each other, with their inner sides made of the proper shape or contour to receive the razor blades, and their exterior surface constructed of a form to fit between and be held by the jaws b5, as shown.

YVith the auxiliary jaws constructed as thus explained, the holding of the razor blade of the Gillette, or other similar form, will be effected by inserting the closed auxiliary jaws 510 between the jaws b5, with the razor blades aranged between the former, and forcing these auxiliary jaws blo outward between the jaws b5, by turning the screw 7) in the proper direction, when the middle or central portion of the bar or plate bl will be forced outward. carrying with it the auxiliary jaws and the razor blades clamped between them, with the result that the auxiliary jaws and their contained razor blade will be firmly cla iped between the jaws Zr", as will be readilly understood.

lWhile the auxiliary jaws thus far described are constructed more particularly for holding safety razor blades of the form that are unprovided with thickened or enlarged backs, and while the Star or other similar maionese terms that are provided with such bacls may be held directly by the jaws if, the auxiliary jaws may be constructed ot such form as to hold these enlarged or thickened back blades without other adaptation than a mere fabrication oit their parts ot the requisite form and size to receive them. On the other hand, when blades ot the Gillette and other forms ci safety razor similar to them with oppositely arranged cutting edges and an aperture or apertures formed through their body portions are to be held therein during the stropping and sharpening operation, without the rear cutting edge being brought in Contact with a ny chilling surface, then we provide one et these auxiliary jaws 1 with a stud or plurality ot studs o, projecting inward trom its inner side at the proper position or positions to engage with the aperture or apertures in the blade, and thereby hold such blade thereon when such auxiliary aws are clamped between the -jaws if.

With the holding devices constructed and operating above explained, the holding of the razor blades ot the various forms may be effected, during the stropping and sharp* ening operation, and the cutting edges thereol projected trom the jaws ZJ to approXimately the saine distance whatever the widths ot' the blades may be.

For supporting and guiding the strop and t'or bringing the sides oit the edge ot the 'azor blade against it, as such strop is reciprocated back and toi-th past them to etfect the stropping and sharpening operation, various means may be employed. As shown, the main supporting trame is provided with movable end trame members, E, which are adapted to be opened or spread tor `more conveniently inserting a razor blade into the blade holder, and tor removing the blade from said blade holder; but atter inserting the blade and prior to starting the stropping operation, said movable end members, E, of the 'trame should be closed, and they should remain closed during such stropping operation. fis shown, the end men'ibers, E, o the trame are mounted upon thel pivots and b1 of the shaitt b2, and we tie them together and hold them at the proper distance apart by rods extending across between them, using these rods at the same time to guide the strop B.

lin some instances these end members, E, ot the frame may each be made et a single piece, and, when such construction is eniployed, the same relationship ot its various parts with respect to one a nother are m aintained therethrough. le prefer however to construct each ot these end members of the trame ot two separate and distinct parts e and el, of the :torni shown in the drawing, and to pivot the upper ends of the parts of each oit these end members together upon the respective pivot l) or b1, as thereby not only may the plies et the strop be brought in close relationship to the razor blade and held in that position during the stropping and sharpening operation, as shown in lfigs. l and 5,but such plies, with the parts c and el ot the end members, E, of the trame may be opened or separated troni each other when it is desired to insert or remove a razor blade :from the holding devices C, as shown in Fig. 2. lV ith the end memberal, ot the trame E thus severally made up trom two parts e and el, the corresponding parts c ot the two end members oit the traine are preferably tied together and held at the proper distance apart bythe rods c2, c, c, and c, while the corresponding parts el are similarly tied together and held at the proper distance by rods e, el, et, and e. )it' these various rods, the rods e2 and c are arranged near the upper enc s ot the respective parts e and el, on opposite sides ot the shat't o2, while the rods and el of these respective parts are located below the rods c2 and c, midway the lengths ot the parts. and at points slightly above where the side ot the edge `ot the razor blade held in the holding devices C will. contact with the strop when such razor blade is swung toward and against it.

The rods t" and es, on the other hand, are disposed immediately below the respective rods c3 and CT ot the parts c and c1, near the. lower ends ot these parte, and the rods ci' and e9 are arranged between the respective rods c* and es and approximately on the same line therewith in the lower ends ot their respective parts c and c1.

lilith the rods disposed as thus explained, the strop B, when applied to the other mechanism and in position for use, is passed upward between the rods et and e5, thence upward and slightly outward over the rods e, thence over the rod c2, thence downnuird and under the shatt 7)?, thence. outward and upward over the rod Zi, thence inward and downward against the inner side ot the rod (il, and thence downward between the rods et and e9. As thus arranged and supported by the various rods and the shaft b2, the movement oit the strop back and forth in the direction of its length, and the vibration ot the razor blade back and 'forth to bring the sides of its edge in contact therewith, may be effected by simply drawingfnst on one ot its ends and then on the other, while its opposite plies are guided past the blade and prevented trom moving laterally toward it beyond certain limits by the respective rods @5 and cf), extending across trom one end trame to the other on the inner sides of such plies; and in order to reduce the friction opposed to the moven'ient ot' the strop back and. forth over the various supporting and guiding rods, we preterably provide each of these rods with a sleeve e1", which is rotatively mounted thereon, as shown.

F rom the foregoing description it is manifest that base, A, and end members, E, constitute a supporting frame which carries the devices for guiding strop, B, and supporting blade holder, C, in cooperative relation to said strop, B. The particular form of said frame, comprising parts, A, E, E, for supporting the working parts of the sharpening machine, may, however, be modied or changed, as desired.

A characteristic feature of this invention consists of strop supporting guides, such as el, e3, carried in the supporting frame between a pair of guides, e2, 6G, at the rear end of said frame and other guides, c, e5, and es, e9, at the front end of said supporting frame, said guides, c7, e3, occupying positions substantially in the rear of the points where the blade in holder, C, is adapted to be engaged with strop, B. lNere guides, e7, c3, omitted, the leads of strop, B, would be unsupported between guides, e2, et, on one side of the supporting frame, and, also, between guides, c6, es, on the other side of said supporting frame, hence the unsupported parts of strop, B, would yield or give outwardly when the blade is pressed by the action of holder, C, into contact with the inner faces of strop, B. The employment of guides, e, e3, in positions between the pairs of `guides positioned at the respective ends of the supporting frame, overcomes this outward deflection of said strop at the particular places wherev the blade engages with the leads of strop, B, for the reason that said guides, e", e3, resist the pressure of the blade and baclr up 7 the strop at such points of engagement between the blade and the strop. lurthermore` the guides, el, c3, deflect the strop inwardly toward the sides of the blade in the holder, such deflection occurring rearwardly of the front edge of the blade, and resulting in the strop being presented at an `angle to the edge of the blade so as to secure a proper sharpening eifect on said edge of the blade.

In the construction of the strop B, any apv propriate material may be employed, or one surface made of one material and the other of another, as, for instance, one side of leather and the other of canvas. We prefer however to employ for the purpose leather having its opposite abrading surfaces of different degrees of fmeness. and to provide the strop at its opposite ends with rings or handles 7L and h1, whereby they may be engaged and held by the hands of the operator, and the back and forth reciprocation of the strop effected through them. lWith the strop thus made with its opposite abrading surfaces of different degrees of lineness, the strop may be inserted inthe supporting and guiding mechanism in such a manner as to bring either surface inward in operative re lationship to the razor blade, and the change from one surface to the other may be effected by simply withdrawing the strop from such mechanism and after reversing it side for side again inserting it therein, when the de- 'ired surface may be brought opposite the blade; and in order to permit of the insertion and withdrawal of the strop in the supporting and o'uiding mechanism and for reversing it side for side, we find it desirable to so secure one of the rings or handles, as, for instance, the handles it, to the end of the strop as to render it detachable therefrom, and, for this purpose, we secure the ring or handle thereto by means of a strip or strips 7a2, bent around the ring or handle, overlapped upon the opposite sides of the strop, and secured thereto by means of a bolt or bolts 7a3 or other appropriate appliance, as shown in Fig. l.

lVith the parts constructed and arranged as above explained, and the strop properly inserted in place in its supporting and guiding frame, the operation of thc mechanism is as followsi The mechanism will first be secured to any suitable or appropriate support, and the frame is opened by swinging the members, E, thereof outwardly upon their pivots away from each otherv by carrying outward the ends of the strop, and the razor blade, F if of the ordinary form, is inserted between the jaws b5, with the handle downward, and properly adjusted therein by turning the screw b9 in the required direction to force it outward through the flexure of the bar or plate l until it con tacts at its sides with, and is arrested in movement by, them. The razor blade having been thus secured in place, the end members, E, of the frame, with the several rods supported in said end members, will be swung together toward each other upon their pivots 7) and b1, by bringing the ends of the strop together, and the strop then reciprocated back and forth in the direction of its length, the result of which operation coupled with the friction of the strop on the shaft b will be to cause the razor and its holding devices to be swung back and forth on their pivots, and thereby bring rst one side and then the other side of the edge of the razor blade in contact with the strop, and hold it in one and the other of those positions, as the strop is reciprocated back and forth in one and the other direction. The reciprocation of the strop thus initiated will be continued until the razor blade has been stropped and sharpened to the required degree, when the end members, E, of the supporting frame, together with the rods supported in said frame members, E, will be again swung away from each other, by carrying outward the opposite ends of the strops and the razor then removed from the n mechanism by simply drawing it out in the direction of its length from the jaws The operation necessary to the stropping and sharpening of an ordinary azor blade will be repeated when a razor blade F1 of a Gillette or other similar form is to be stropped and sharpened, with the exception that instead of the blade being inserted directly between the jaws of of the holding de vices, it will be first adjusted between the auxiliary jaws, with the aperture or apertures in its body placed upon the stud or studs c, and the auxiliary jaws then inserted between the jaws L, when the secure ment of these parts between the jaws b5 will be effected by turning inward the screw b as shown in Fig. 7.

Although in the preceding we have described our auxiliary jaws and their combination with the razor stropping and sharp ening mechanism, we make no claim thereto herein, as the same will form the subject of a separate application to be hereafter filed.

With the parts constructed and arranged as above described, a razor stropping and sharpening mechanism is produced, which, while simple in construction and convenient in operation, is, at the same time, highly efli cient in operation, and permits of the stropping and sharpening of a razor blade by an inexperienced person or novice with the same facility and ease as by a person highly skilled in the art.

While in the foregoing we have described the best means contemplated by us for carrying our invention into practice we wish it distinctly understood that we do not limit ourselves strictly thereto, as it is obvious that we may modify the same in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described our invention, and specified certain of the ways in which it is or may be carried into effect, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States l. ln a razor sharpening device, a frame, a movable blade holder, a strop, two strop guides at one end of said frame, other guides at the opposite end of said frame, and rollers intermediate the respective ends of said frame, said rollers operating to direct the respective lengths of the strop inwardly with respect to the frame and at points intermediate the ends of said frame.

2. In a razor sharpening device, a frame, a movable blade holder, a strop, two rollers at one end of said frame, two pairs of rollers at the opposite end of said frame, and additional rollers intermediate the said rollers at the respective ends of the frame, said additional rollers operating to support the respective lengths of the strop at points intermediate the ends of the frame and operating, also, to deflect said lengths of the strop inwardly toward lthe positions adapted to be assumed by the blade holder.

3. rlhe combination of a back plate or support, a shaft pivoted thereto and carrying blade-holding devices, end frame members pivoted to said baclr plate or support, said frame members being adjustable relative to said blade-holding devices, a connecting rod located on each side of said shaft and in the upper portion of said frame members, said rods being separate from the pivotal connections between the fra-me members and the back plate or support, the upper surface of said rod being above the under surface of said shaft and extending across from one end frame member to the other, and a strop arranged over such rods and under the shaft, said strop having frictional engagement directly with the shaft, sub stantially as described.

4l. The combination, with a razor blade holding device constructed with a base plate and two jaws extending outward therefrom and gradually approaching each other at their outer ends, of a flexible plate arranged in such holder, and an adjusting screw acting upon such flexible plate to cause its middle portion to flex more or less to adapt the holder to hold razor blades of different widths and forms, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the baclr plate or support, and a shaft carrying the razor blade holding devices and provided with a flattened surface, of a spring carried by the said back plate or support and bearing at its free end upon such flattened surface, whereby to return such shaft to its middle or normal position with the razor holding devices when rotated therefrom, substantially as described.

LEON A. FLINKER. JOHN SCHADE, Jn. Witnesses:

Huisnr A. Ronnn'rs, JOHN S. Renners.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

